Laser Heterodyning

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Abstract
The development of heterodyne detection from the radiowave to the optical region of the electromagnetic spectrum is briefly reviewed. Attention is focused on the submillimetre/far-infrared region. A simple phenomenological model for the transition from electric-field to photon-absorption detection is developed. The relative detected power at double- and sum-frequencies is multiplied by an attenuating coefficient that depends on the incident photon energy and on the effective temperature of the system. Several recent developments in heterodyne detection are mentioned.